Ghost Fever
by ElectricSnowman
Summary: So, what exactly happens to ghosts when they get sick? What sorts of crazy symptoms do they have to endure? And if these symptoms really are crazy, how can anyone keep their sanity for that long? (A long-overdue Mad Dummy-centered fic)
1. Chapter 1

**GASP! I'm actually back with a new fanfic after all this time!** **Anyway, this was originally going to be another one-shot for my collection known as "Ghostly Tales", but I just wanted to keep writing, so I decided to make it a separate story.**

* * *

In Undyne's eyes (her one good eye, at least), the entire day was completely normal. To cooking with Papyrus, watching anime with Alphys, and cleaning up whatever disaster was concocted during said cooking, it seemed like just an ordinary day in the life of the fish monster.

At least up until her training session.

Now, Undyne's favorite thing about training was the fact that there was never a dull moment. Mad Dummy definitely made sure of that, what with his near-constant rage, all the knife-chucking, and obscenities that were screamed.

That being said, today was certainly interesting; just not quite in the way Undyne had hoped.

First of all, Mad Dummy was _not_ supposed to be the exhausted one. Sure, he was the one who got punched every day, but for one who couldn't get physically hurt, it took a _lot_ to wear him out while training. In fact, now that Undyne thought about it, the dummy usually enjoyed training so much that he would always seem to have a consistent rush of adrenaline. Seriously—where did all that energy come from?

So of course, Undyne was downright befuddled when her punching bag lay limp on the grass shortly after she gave him a swift kick in the torso.

"Um…Mad?"

She fully expected Mad to hop right back up and scream at her, only to see him flinch at her voice and cringe. Something wasn't right.

Undyne frowned. "Listen…maybe we should just take a break."

Mad vigorously shook his head. "No! It's just a little headache; I'm fine! I just—I'm just…" His head lowered as he softly groaned.

Undyne wasn't convinced. "Forget it, Mad." She brushed the dust off her hands. "It's fine. I don't want you pushing yourself _too_ hard."

Mad Dummy forced himself to stand, struggling in the process. "I'm not!" he yelled, straightening himself up. "Come on—is that all you got!?" He hopped forward, but misjudged his distance and ended up flat in his face.

Undyne suppressed a snicker. "Sorry, punk. Maybe we'll just try again tomorrow." She turned around to head back inside the house.

Mad raised his head, only for his vision to blur. He muttered something indistinct as he let himself fall back onto the grass, head pounding.

Undyne was about to open the door when she heard a rather strange noise from behind her. She glanced back at Mad, who was face-down on the grass and trembling. "Are you… _crying?"_

"NO!" Mad swung his head up, immediately regretting it when he felt light-headed.

Undyne raised a brow once she noticed what looked like tears falling down his face. She had seen Mad cry only once or twice in her lifetime, but this was ridiculous. "Mad, are you kidding me right now? You're seriously crying over not being able to train?"

"I'M **_NOT_** CRYING!" Desperate to regain his dignity, he pried himself off the ground. "And I don't care about training! I don't…I just don't know what's wrong with me…" He shut his eyes and tried to stop himself from shaking.

"I'll say." Undyne gradually approached him, not liking how uncharacteristically timid he seemed. She then noticed something else odd, however. "Wait a minute…" Upon further examination, her eyes widened. "Holy cow!"

"…What?" he growled, already feeling woozy from standing for so long.

"I thought you were crying; you're _sweating._ Is that supposed to happen?" Undyne looked concerned.

"I don't know…" Mad wobbled around in an attempt to maintain his balance.

"Mad, are you feeling alright?" At this point, Undyne didn't know why she even bothered asking.

Mad gritted his teeth. "I…I feel…fine…" A sudden chill ran up his nonexistent spine, and he shivered uncontrollably.

Undyne didn't fall for his bluff in the slightest. "Alright. Somethin's definitely up. I'm gonna get Alphys." If anyone could figure this out, it was definitely her.

For once, Mad didn't argue. He managed to take a few steps and follow her, but then he came to an abrupt halt.

Undyne opened the door, but after seeing that Mad wasn't right behind her, she curiously turned around.

Mad was standing a couple feet away, supposedly focused on something. He shut his eyes.

"You good?" Undyne asked him. "Can you walk at all? Or hop, I mean."

Mad remained silent for a few seconds before sneezing rather loudly. Undyne was startled, both by the sudden noise, and the fact that a large portion of Mad's body seemed to fling forward from the force of his sneeze.

Then Undyne realized it wasn't just some portion of his body; it was his _ghost._

Madstablook lay motionless next to Undyne's feet for a while. The fish monster blinked, unsure of how to respond to what just happened. "Um…Alphys!? Could you come here for a moment!?" She called out as she stared at the ghost.

Mad finally raised his head to look at Undyne. Once seeing her puzzled look, he frowned. "Undyne?"

Undyne didn't respond; she only continued to stare at him.

Mad cleared his throat, not sure whether to feel self-conscious or annoyed. "What? Haven't you seen someone sneeze before?"

"Mad…I've seen a lot of things in my lifetime, but what just happened is completely new in my book."

"Why? What happened—" Mad flew up to meet her height, feeling much lighter than usual. "Wait. Why am I—" He whipped his head around, soon catching sight of the 'empty' dummy pieces lying next to a bush.

Needless to say, all heck broke loose.

"Wait _WAIT **WAIT!"**_

"Um…"

Mad flew as if his life depended on it. He dove into his body so quickly that it took him a while to put himself back together.

"Mad…"

 _"Shut up_ **_SHUT UP!_** You didn't see anything!" he hissed at her. He took a step forward, only to nearly fall over again.

"Mad, seriously—" Undyne started.

"Hold on!" Mad tried to hover instead, but managed to gain airtime for about two seconds before he felt something heavy drop from under him. "What—" He glanced down and shuddered at the sight of his 'body' on the ground again. "No NO **_NO!"_**

With the way he was hyperventilating, Undyne swore he was going to explode at any second. "Mad, I seriously think you should just stay put while I get Alphys…" She cautiously stepped into the house.

"I CAN WALK BY MYSELF!" Mad retaliated at he returned into his body again. This time he immediately dropped to the ground, unable to move at all.

Undyne ignored him and hollered, "ALPHYS!?"

* * *

 _"STAH LAHING!"_

"P-Please don't talk with the thermometer in your mouth…"

Alphys sat at a chair adjacent to the couch, flipping through several pages of a rather large book on her lap. It was specifically a book on monster ghosts, one that she had bought from the library particularly after meeting Hapstablook years ago. And seeing how Alphys and Undyne practically _lived_ with a ghost, it went without saying that this book had proven to be helpful in many cases.

"I'm not laughing!" Undyne smirked, although it was rather hard _not_ to laugh at the irritant ghost. It wasn't that she enjoyed his misery; it was merely the fact that he was dead-set on hiding every inch of his body with the comforter he was given, yet his head poked out.

Mad growled as Alphys finally took back the thermometer, shortly before he shoved a pillow into his face. Alphys pushed her glasses up as she glanced over the number. Once she checked her book again, she looked back and forth between the two as she winced. "Oh dear…"

"Is it bad?" Undyne took a peek, but only grew more confused. "Wait, that's totally fine! That's like _my_ normal temperature, isn't it?"

"W-well, yes, but…a g-ghost's normal temperature is a bit cooler than most monsters s-since they don't need as much thermal energy; that's w-why Mad doesn't hold up as well in hotter weather than we d-do," Alphys explained as she flipped another page. "So seeing it at or e-even _near_ our normal temperature isn't necessarily a g-good thing…"

Already knowing all of this, Mad was only half-listening to her. "Can I go back into my body now?" his muffled voice asked from behind the pillow.

Alphys reluctantly shook her head. "I'm…n-not sure if that's a good idea. Given your temperature, you should p-probably just focus on relaxing for now."

The pillow whipped down as a look of utter horror consumed Mad's face. "You're _kidding_ me."

"Well, seeing how you couldn't even take one full step before falling flat on your face, I say you're better off staying a ghost," Undyne chuckled.

Mad felt nauseous just at the thought. "No _no_ **_no…"_** He pressed the pillow back against his face even harder. " ** _Please_** don't do this to me…"

"Staying as a ghost is actually f-for the best, really," Alphys told him nervously. "If Undyne is right about you n-not being able to walk, then y-you don't quite have the strength t-to fully control your body right now…"

Mad screamed, although it was silenced by the pillow on his face. **_"SOMEBODY KILL ME NOOOWWW!"_**

Undyne just rolled her eyes at him. "Relax, drama king. It's not like anyone's gonna see you like this."

Alphys looked even more anxious. "J-Just please try to calm down…we d-don't want you to bring your fever up even more."

Mad didn't seem too calm, but at least he wasn't yelling anymore. Still, they could see him trembling a lot more than usual.

Undyne swore she heard Mad mutter something under his breath. Assuming it was some sort of insult, she narrowed her eyes and leaned forward to hear him better. Seconds later, she froze. She wasn't hearing things this time; he was actually trying not to cry.

Wondering if Alphys could hear him as well, Undyne looked at her for help. Luckily, the scientist quickly spoke up. "B-But…at least this way I c-can stitch up your body and make it good as new for when you get better!" she told him hopefully.

Mad was quiet for a few seconds, most likely to calm himself down enough to actually speak. "Th…thanks, I guess…" he mumbled, although he still refused to show his face.

"Just g-get some rest, a-alright?" Alphys took her book and started to walk out of the room. "I-If you need anything, just ask…we'll b-be in the kitchen nearby."

Undyne watched her leave and turned back to the sick ghost with a sigh. "Well…" she began, not quite sure what else to do. "Get some sleep, punk. We'll wait a few days after you're better before going back to training, alright?"

Mad tightly shut his eyes and curled into a ball. "Whatever…"

Undyne followed Alphys into the kitchen. The scientist still looked a bit concerned, head buried deep in her book.

"So…what now?" Undyne asked her.

"I…I'm still trying to f-figure that out. One thing for sure, I'm j-just worried about his fever. It'll only get worse if he k-keeps getting riled up like that…"

Undyne began to regret messing with him earlier. She glanced back at Mad, raising a brow. "Hey, he ain't contagious, is he?"

Alphys was already way ahead of her. "From what I've read, n-no. Ghosts are only contagious to other g-ghosts."

"Huh. Ghosts are weird." Undyne scratched her head as Alphys set the book aside. "I wish I could do something to help, but when it comes to ghosts, I know diddly squat…"

"T-To be honest, I only know from w-what's in my book. And even then, I'm n-not entirely sure I know a whole lot myself—" Alphys paused for a second. Her eyes suddenly lit up in realization, and she turned to Undyne. "B-But we know someone who does!"


	2. Chapter 2

What felt like several hours of sleep to Madstablook only lasted for about 45 minutes. The ghost shifted onto his side, and the pillow slipped off his face, causing his vision to be swarmed by light the moment he blinked opened his eyes.

"Err…" He lightly groaned as he turned his head. "Undyne, can you shut the cur—" The second his eyes adjusted, he froze in place.

In front of him wasn't Undyne, but Mettaton, whose grin immediately brightened. "Maddy! You're awake!"

"AAGGHHH…" Mad took no hesitation to hide his face once again, this time to block out his cousin's irritating voice. "Why are you always SO _LOUD!?"_

"Oh—" Mettaton covered his mouth in embarrassment. "Sorry!" He giggled quietly to himself as he grabbed a bowl from the coffee table beside him. "I made you some ghost soup!"

Mad didn't even move. "I'm not hungry."

Mettaton frowned at him. "Hungry or not, the soup will help you feel better."

"It tastes like socks."

The robot blinked. "…What? How do you even know that?"

Mad lowered the pillow. "I tasted it once when I was like, three. Remember?"

"Oh." Mettaton blinked as he tried to recall that incident, but overall shook it aside. "Well, you're gonna have to deal with it!"

Mad hissed, raising his pillow as if that would make his cousin disappear.

Mettaton was beginning to lose his patience. "Maddy, stop being stubborn. You want to get better, don't you?"

 _(Call me Maddy **one more time.** ) _The ghost sucked in a deep breath. "You're lucky I don't have the energy to stab you right now."

Mettaton just chuckled as he took a spoonful of soup. "Just at least try it."

Mad promptly sat up with a scowl. "I can feed myself, y'know!" he grouched, snatching the spoon from him. However, it somehow slipped from his grip and landed on the carpet.

"…" Mettaton kept his mouth shut.

Mad gritted his teeth. "Are you _kidding_ me—?" He bent over to pick it up, only to have his hand repeatedly phase right through it. "JUST—GET—AGH! NOW I CAN'T EVEN LIFT A FREAKIN' _SPOON!?"_

"Mad…relax. I'll go clean it off." Mettaton calmly lifted the spoon and set the bowl down before standing up to leave the room.

It took everything Mad had not to scream at the top of his lungs. So instead, he crammed the entire comforter onto his face and let loose a noise somewhere between a screech and a growl. Either way, it wasn't pretty.

Mettaton wasn't even fazed by the continuous wail as he stepped into the kitchen and over to the sink.

Undyne had long been sitting at the table (just in case Mad needed anything), reading through a manga. "Y'know, I'm a bit surprised at how _calm_ you are about this. I mean, seriously…" She paused, obviously taking that moment to listen to Mad's muffled scream of bloody murder. "You'd think that dummy was horrifically _dying_ or something," she muttered, shaking her head.

Mettaton sighed as he washed off the spoon. "Mad's problem isn't necessarily just being sick; it's being vulnerable. He can't stand having to rely on others for help because he thinks it makes him look 'weak'." Upon realizing the screaming had stopped, Mettaton peered back into the living room, where he saw the comforter all bunched up in a huge pile, presumably covering Mad. "…Put that together with the fact that he _hates_ being a ghost, and it's no wonder he's as 'miserable' as he is…"

"M-Mettaton!" Alphys bolted into the room. "What happened? I h-heard Mad screaming…"

"He's fine, Alphys. He's just being overly dramatic, as usual." Mettaton turned off the sink, just barely missing Undyne muttering _"you're one to talk."_

"Did he e-eat any of the soup?"

"Didn't he yell something about dropping the spoon?" Undyne snorted. Luckily, Mad was too engrossed in his self-pity to hear her.

Mettaton tried to keep a straight face, and utterly failed. "Yeah…intangibility can be a bit…harder to control when you're sick. But trust me, it could be a lot worse!"

"Worse how?" Undyne raised a brow.

He tapped his chin. "Well, I mean, there _was_ this one time where I phased right through my bed." He laughed a bit. "Heh, I remember that day like it was yesterday. It _really_ freaked out my mom. She was all like _"Happy! HAPPY!"_ and spent an hour just searching my room. Then she told my dad, who knew this sort of thing was completely normal, but even though he told her to calm down, she sent like five people to go on a search party for me, which took about 2 hours before they all finally found me in the basement under all these boxes full of jigsaw puzzles that my gramma _always_ said she'd take care of, but never did. She seriously had this weird obsession. Don't ask. Come to think of it, I still have some of those old puzzles in my closet, I think…I should really give them back to her." Mettaton paused for a moment, lost in thought. "But anyway—that was how my mom finally came up the brilliant idea of cleaning out the basement, which solved my gramma's hoarding problem."

Undyne and Alphys stared at the robot, who finally seemed to snap out of his flashback.

"What were we talking about again?" he questioned innocently.

Alphys quickly shook her head. "F-Forget we said anything. You sh-should really get b-back to Mad…"

"Oh, right!" Mettaton hurried out of the kitchen.

Undyne watched him, then slowly faced Alphys. "I've said it once, and I'll say it again: ghosts are weird."

Mettaton returned to the living room and over to the couch. "Mad?"

Mad didn't respond, but it was obvious he was still under the comforter. Mettaton rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket off him.

"I'm cold," Mad growled, although he didn't bother trying to take it back, lest it phase through his hands like the spoon did.

Mettaton set the blanket aside and went to open a few windows in the room. "What you need is some fresh air to bring your fever down. Keeping bundled up like that isn't going to help at all."

"Can you at least shut the curtains?"

Mettaton rolled his eyes. "There's no point in shutting the curtains if the windows are open, Mad. They would blow all over the place." Once he was finished, he sat down beside Mad and took the bowl. "Now can you just _please_ try the soup?" He took another spoonful to give to him.

Mad inched away, purposely avoiding eye-contact. "Can't I just lap it like a dog or something?"

Mettaton opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a loud howl of laughter that erupted from the kitchen, no doubt from Undyne, who had pictured the scenario in her head.

The ghost shook with fury, shifting dark red. He swung his body around to face the kitchen doorway. **_"SHUT UP!"_** he roared. He soon hissed in pain, both at the volume of his voice and how fast he had reacted. "Oh my head. Ow. Ow." He slumped back onto the couch.

"You done?" Mettaton asked, unamused.

"Just shut up and get it over with," his cousin griped.

* * *

It took about a half-hour before the soup was finally finished. 10 of those minutes consisted of Madstablook attempting to get it over with as quickly as possible, but once realizing that Mettaton was done messing around, he reluctantly complied to eating normally.

"Congratulations. You survived." Mettaton set the spoon into the empty bowl and sat it down.

"Still tasted like socks," Mad mumbled, leaning his head back. Granted, it didn't taste _quite_ as terrible as he remembered, but it still wasn't something he'd want to eat again anytime soon. Or ever.

"Oh well." Mettaton stood up and stretched a bit. "It'll take a while for the soup to kick in, so do you want anything else in the meantime?"

Mad glanced his way. "What would I want?"

The robot shrugged. "I don't know. Pain meds…glass of water…a movie…just anything to keep you occupied?"

"You mean you're gonna be like my personal servant?" Mad seemed to light up at this idea. "Cuz if _that's_ the case—"

Mettaton narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm still not shutting the curtains."

"Dangit." Mad slumped a bit. His eyes trailed to the shelf, but he forced himself to look away. "Well, you'd sooner catch me sitting in a fancy store than watching _anime_ ," he shuddered. He thought about watching the superhero movie he saw with Frisk one time when he was babysitting them, but he knew he wouldn't have the energy to focus on something for 2 hours. He was never a fan of TV, anyway. "Forget it. I don't want anything."

"So…you're just gonna sit there?" Mettaton frowned.

"What's so bad about that?" Mad griped, trying to shift comfortably. "Not much I can do without feeling even _more_ miserable, anyway."

"Well, even when you _don't_ feel miserable, it seems like all you ever do is sit around anyway. I mean, what do you normally do when you're outside?" Before Mad could answer, Mettaton added: " _Besides_ train with Undyne?"

Mad rolled his eyes, seeing no point in this conversation. "I sit by my bush, mostly. Sometimes I play cards with my minions, other times I patrol the yard for potential intruders. That's pretty much it."

Mettaton crossed his arms.

Mad lowered his head. "Okay, fine! I also…er…go to this empty field and just kinda lay there…with my thoughts…" He trailed off, not wanting to sound like a complete wimp.

His cousin smiled just a bit, but remained silent.

Knowing that look, Mad turned completely red. "And _sometimes_ I'll go out and visit Muffet! THERE! Are you happy now!?" he hollered.

"I didn't say anything." Mettaton grinned.

"Just—agh!" Mad threw the pillow back onto his face, only for it to fly through his head and hit the wall behind him. "Don't judge me! I realize I don't do anything "interesting" or "fun" to other people, but my point is that I'm content with just sitting here! Maybe I'll nap, maybe I won't, but it's not like I'd rather go _bungee jumping_ or whatever the morons around here do all day!"

Mettaton was about to speak up, but froze in place, pursing his lips to keep from laughing.

"Hey, what's all the hollering about?" Undyne walked into the room. Her first instinct was to look at Mad, only to see an empty couch. "Hey, where's Mad?"

"He's…well..." Mettaton stifled a giggle as he pointed at the couch.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY!?" Mad's disembodied voice shrieked, and Undyne nearly jumped out of her boots.

"Good gosh…why do I keep forgetting he's a _ghost…?"_ She rubbed her head.

"Maddy…do me a favor and look at yourself," Mettaton spoke up.

"STOP CALLING ME—" There was a short pause. "…I'm invisible, aren't I…?"

"I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner, if I'm honest."

More silence. At this point, Mad had given up on screaming over everything, much to everyone's relief. "Well. At least I don't have to worry about hiding myself anymore," he spoke up hoarsely, just before shifting back into everyone's view.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Undyne blinked, assuming this was another symptom.

Mad took a peek at his stubby arms and dropped them back to his sides. "Why must the world hate me?" he hissed.

"Oh, give it a rest already," Mettaton sighed. "Maybe you _should_ just take a nap."

"Unless I end up phasing through the couch." Mad started snickering. "Hey, that reminds me—remember that time you phased through your bed—?"

" _Please_ don't remind me," Mettaton cut him off, not wanting to go through that flashback again.

"I'm…just gonna leave now before I end up saying something I shouldn't." Undyne awkwardly stepped back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, whatever." Mad shut his eyes as Mettaton stood by the couch.

"So, are you _sure_ you don't need anything?" the robot tried one last time.

"I don't. Unless you changed your mind about shutting the curtains," Mad grumbled.

Mettaton resisted the urge to slap him. "Mad, for the last time, I'm _not_ shutting the curtains."

Mad gritted his teeth, blindly snatching up the comforter that was on the floor before covering himself again. Surprisingly, he didn't phase through it.

Mettaton immediately jerked away the blanket, this time throwing it into the corner of the room.

"Stop doing that!" Mad hollered.

"Being seen as a ghost is _not_ the end of the world, you know," Mettaton growled.

"Well that's easy for _you_ to say; you're not even a ghost anymore!" Mad harshly pointed out.

Mettaton bit his lip, knowing he had a point. Regardless, he shook his head. "Mad, have you ever stopped to think that maybe no one cares whether or not you're a ghost? That no one would treat you differently than they do now?"

Mad blinked. "Gee, thanks. Considering my reputation, that's really comforting to know, Mettaton," he spat, turning the other way.

Mettaton started to fume. He was about to retort, but ultimately decided against it, not wanting to heat things up even more. "Just…go to sleep." He turned around and left the room.

Alphys was washing a few dishes when she heard Mettaton come in. "Is he…um…d-doing better at all?"

Mettaton took a seat at the table, deep in thought. He didn't hear Alphys at first, but once her question began to register, he started to smile. "I don't know, but I think I know something that will help." He faced the scientist, cell phone in hand. "Mind helping me give a few calls?"


	3. Chapter 3

Although Madstablook was exhausted, he just couldn't sleep. It wasn't because of the muffled chatters that could be heard from the kitchen, nor from his occasional sneezes that nearly flung him across the room, but it was the fact that ever since he left his body, he felt so…exposed.

Mettaton had eventually hidden the comforter, much to Mad's displeasure. The ghost was tempted to look around for it, but the second he raised his head, he shut his eyes in pain. Was it really worth it?

His throat felt dry, but he noticed how his glass of water was empty. "Hey, Mettaton?" he croaked. He had to clear his throat several times before speaking again, knowing he hadn't used his voice for quite some time. "Mettaton!?"

A quiet giggle was heard before Mettaton's head popped out from the kitchen. "Yes Maddy?"

Mad's throat hurt far too much to yell, so he pushed his rage aside. "Could you get me a—" He stopped dead in his tracks, realizing that Mettaton was grinning like an idiot the entire time.

Needless to say, Mad knew that look. He _hated_ that look, especially considering that it was the _same_ exact look given to him after the robot claimed he wouldn't show up during Mad's first date…and look where _that_ ended up.

"No. No no no—" Mad struggled to sit up. "Mettaton, what did you do _now?"_

"Nothing." Mettaton tried to hide his grin, but utterly failed. "What do you need?"

"BULL!" Mad hollered, forcing himself off the couch. He nearly choked on the air, not meaning to talk so loud. "You're up to something and I KNOW it!"

"What makes you so sure of that?" Mettaton smiled broadly, leaning against the doorway.

"JUST _TELL_ ME SO I DON'T HAVE TO KEEP YELLING AT YOU!" Mad had a coughing fit at this point.

"Tell you what?"

"Oh for Pete's sake, just _say_ it!" Undyne snapped as she stopped next to Mettaton. "This ain't helping his fever, y'know!" She walked over and handed another glass of water to Mad.

"Thanks," he muttered hoarsely.

"Okay…okay," Mettaton sighed, finally ridding of that annoying grin. "So, Alphys and I came up with an idea to help you feel a bit better…"

"Did she finish stitching up my body?" Mad immediately raised his head.

Mettaton narrowed his eyes. " _No_ , Mad. And even if she _did_ , you still can't have it back until you feel better."

"Then what's the freaking _point?"_ The ghost face-planted onto the ground.

"I think there are other things that can make you happy besides _that_ , Mad." Mettaton smiled again, although it wasn't as exaggerated as before.

Mad raised his head, giving him a cautious look. "What did you do?"

"Well, Alphys helped me give a few calls, and—"

 _*Ding-Dong!*_

"YOU—" Mad shifted invisible. "YOU MADE OTHER PEOPLE COME HERE!?" he screeched.

"I didn't _make_ them; they thought it would be nice to give you some friendly company!" Mettaton beamed as he went to answer the door.

"NO! NO _NO **NO!"**_ Mad couldn't care less about his fever anymore; he didn't want anyone else to see him like this.

Mettaton felt a cold breeze brush past him before he heard the hall closet door slam shut. "MAD!"

"Go answer the door, Mettaton. I'll handle it." Undyne opened a drawer in the kitchen, nonchalantly pulling out a bag of flour.

Mettaton stared at her as she stormed out of the kitchen and into the hall, but he decided not to focus on that for now. He opened the door, greeting the two visitors with a grin.

"Hi Mettaton!" Frisk gave him a hug.

"Frisk! It's always a joy to see you, darling!" Mettaton returned the hug tightly.

"Hello, Mettaton." Toriel smiled.

"Ah, Toriel! Wonderful to see you! Come right in, you two!" Mettaton led them inside. After he shut the door, he frowned a bit, wondering just how Undyne planned to get Mad to be visible again.

"So where's Mad?" Frisk asked.

"Um…" Mettaton blinked. "Well—"

 _"LOCKING THE CLOSET DOOR **AGAIN!?** WHAT ARE YOU— **FIVE!?"**_

An awkward silence filled the living room.

 _"ALRIGHT, PUNK—YOU ASKED FOR IT!"_

 _"Hey, how did you open the do—wait WAIT **WAIT—"**_

Mettaton caught a cloud of white dust from the corner of his eye, following by a lot of coughing and cursing.

"Have we…come at a bad time?" Toriel asked quietly.

"Hold on just a sec." Mettaton stepped away from them and took a peek into the hall. Almost immediately, his hands covered his mouth as he desperately tried not to laugh.

Undyne sauntered out of the hall without a care in the world, swinging around her half-full sack of flour. "He's all yours, Mettaton." As Mettaton walked out, she faced Toriel and Frisk. "Hey punks! What's up?" She spread out her arms, but paused. "…I'd hug you, but I doubt you want flour all over your clothes."

"It's good to see you, Undyne," Toriel chuckled. "Is Alphys also here?"

"Yeah—she's fixing up Mad's body at the moment, but she'll show up." Undyne glanced behind herself. "Mad'll show himself eventually. He…wasn't exactly too thrilled about having guests."

"We could always come back another time," Toriel offered, but Undyne shook her head.

"Nah, don't worry about him—he's stubborn. What else is new?" She snorted.

Meanwhile, Mad was now visible again due to the flour that had been dumped on him. After sneezing a few times, he grumbled to himself as he flew over a trashcan, promptly shifting intangible so all the flour dropped from him.

Mettaton watched, merely shrugging and having a _'serves you right'_ look on his face.

"That _really_ wasn't necessary," Mad mumbled, phasing back into view.

"Neither was locking yourself in the closet." His cousin glared at him. "Now come on—Frisk and Toriel are here to see you."

Mad twitched. "Frisk and—" He immediately whipped his head around the corner, taking a peek at the two visitors. He slowly turned his head and scowled at Mettaton. _"Why…?"_

"What?" Mettaton frowned. "I thought you liked Frisk! You babysat them, after all—" Then it hit him that Mad wasn't talking about Frisk. "…Mad. Seriously?"

* * *

 _ **(2 Weeks Ago...)**_

 _Toriel beamed as she slipped on her oven mitts, humming quietly to herself as she opened the oven. She carefully took out a rather large pie, turning to face the doorway._

 _"Who wants snail pie?" she called out to the living room._

 ** _*SMASH!*_**

 _Toriel whipped around to find that the kitchen window was completely shattered. The source of this unexpected action was none other than an angry-looking training dummy._

 _"NO ONE!" He shouted, lunging forward to snatch the pie right out of her hands. "NO ONE, Y'HEAR!?"_

 _And just like that, he charged out the broken window, vanishing from sight within seconds._

 _In a mixture of terror and confusion, Toriel just stared, unable to process what on earth just happened._

 _Just moments later, Mad Dummy was found lying on the ground in Undyne's yard, glaring solemnly at the destroyed pie in front of him._

 _Undyne soon approached him in curiosity, her eyes landing on the pie. Things were awfully quiet for a few seconds before she spoke up. "…Should I even ask?"_

 _"Ask the murderer," was all he spat._

* * *

"You can't be serious." Mettaton shut his eyes. "You're _still_ upset about that?"

"Who the heck eats _snail pie?"_ Mad sneered. "The idea is just _sick!"_

"And you know I can't say I disagree, but _still_ —just suck it up for Frisk. Last thing we need is you worsening your fever, remember?"

Having heard it a million times, Mad rolled his eyes. "Now you're just using my fever as an excuse for me not to stab anyone."

"Yup. Deal with it." Mettaton pointed to the living room.

Mad finally obeyed, not because of Mettaton, but because he knew Frisk would want to see him. In all honesty, he had been wanting to see Frisk, too…just under better circumstances.

Mettaton followed close behind, ready to give his cousin a shove if he changed directions. Luckily, it wasn't until Mad was already in the living room before something finally seemed to register:

 _(Frisk's never seen my ghost form before.)_

Mad froze in place, suddenly feeling nauseous. "Mettaton…?" he whispered, hoping Frisk wouldn't notice him.

Mettaton's patience was certainly being tested at this point. "Mad, calm down. It's _not_ a big deal," he said lowly.

"But I _really_ don't—"

"Mad?" Frisk stopped talking to Undyne once they caught sight of him. "Wait…" Their eyes widened, and a huge grin came across their face. "So _that's_ what you look like as a ghost!?"

Mad shut his eyes as he shrank back, preparing for the worst. _(Please don't say it…please don't say it…)_

"That's so _cool!"_

His eyes shot open. "C… _Cool?_ " That was definitely the last word he expected to be called.

Frisk nodded eagerly. "Yeah! I expected you to look more like Napstablook, but it's really neat to see how each ghost has their own distinct look!"

Mad ignored Mettaton's snicker and slowly approached Frisk, who gave him a hug. "Th…thanks."

"No problem! Anyway, my mom and I got you something to make you feel better. This is mine!" Frisk handed him a small present with a green bow.

Mad was reluctant at first, but eventually took it. "You…didn't have to…" he mumbled.

"But I wanted to!" Frisk smiled. "You're my friend, after all."

Mad couldn't help but smile a bit as well when he removed the ribbon to open the box. Sitting inside was none other than a picture frame with him and Frisk together, along with some of his minions. He raised a brow as he cocked his head to the side, trying to recall if they ever took a photo of themselves the day he babysat Frisk.

Frisk giggled. "I don't know if you were really paying attention then, but I took this back when we were getting Nice Cream together since you looked pretty happy."

Mad stared at his smiling face in the picture. His guess was that he was too interested in his nice cream to see Frisk was taking a photo, but nonetheless, he was glad they did so. "I…" He trailed off, honestly speechless. "…Thank you, Frisk."

"…Mad? You okay there?" Undyne noticed a tear fall down his face.

Mad sniffed, shaking his head. "Shut up! I'm just really sick and emotional, okay!?" He set the picture onto the coffee table in front of the couch.

"But that's not all; my mom got something for you, too!" Frisk told him.

Mad suspiciously turned his head, still not sure whether he should trust the 'snail-murderer' or not. However, he could feel Mettaton glaring at him.

Toriel calmly stepped over to the ghost with something wrapped in aluminum foil. "I thought you might enjoy this once you start feeling a bit better," she said softly, setting it on the table.

Mad immediately sat on a hair trigger when noticing its pie-like shape. Catching on, Mettaton stood close in case he needed to restrain him (if that was even possible).

Fortunately for everyone, Frisk quickly clarified, "It's butterscotch-cinnamon pie."

Mad had never felt more relieved. "It **_better_** be," he whispered. Slightly embarrassed, he kept his gaze down. "Thanks…I guess."

"You're very welcome." Toriel smiled. She was about to mention how it was least she could do, but she overall decided it was best not to bring up the incident.

"I'll go put the pie in the fridge," Undyne said as she took the pie. She paused. "Well—the _cold_ fridge. You know what I mean."

"W-Wait!" A distance voice was heard, and Alphys finally hobbled into the room. "S-Sorry I'm late; I w-was just a bit a busy in the l-lab…"

"Hi Alphys!" Frisk headed over and gave her a hug, too.

"Oh, h-hi Frisk! And T-Toriel!" Alphys smiled as she hugged them back. "Did I miss a-anything?"

"We were just giving Mad a couple of gifts to help him feel better." Toriel looked Mad's way, who still couldn't help but feel stupid.

Alphys looked at the photo of Mad and Frisk. "Aw…that's n-nice. Thank you for c-coming!"

"It's really no trouble at all." Mad noticed how Toriel was talking more to him than Alphys, but he still stared at the floor. "However…I think it's about time we head back. Frisk has some homework they need to start on." Toriel winked at Frisk, who pouted.

"Darn it…I was hoping you'd forget about that…"

"How could I forget when it's from _my_ class, silly?" Toriel laughed and shook her head. "Come along."

"Bye, Mad! Get well soon!" Frisk gave the ghost another hug.

"…Thanks for coming, Frisk," Mad said quietly as he hugged back. He was glad to see the child again.

"Bye punks!" Undyne grinned. Mettaton and Alphys also waved.

Before the two walked out, Toriel turned around. "I hope you feel better, Mad. Enjoy the pie." She smiled and shut the door.

Shortly after they were gone, Mad groaned loudly as he fell backwards onto the couch.

"What's _your_ deal?" Undyne frowned.

"It's just—why are people always so _NICE_ to me even though I acted like a total JERK? It makes me feel like even MORE of a jerk!" Mad complained.

"W-Well, I don't th-think Toriel is one t-to hold a grudge over something like that," Alphys spoke up, shuffling her feet a bit.

"Oh great. You know about that incident too?"

"I tell Alphys everything—you should be used to that by now," Undyne chuckled. "But seriously, Toriel seemed to let it go, so you should just let it go."

"I freakin' broke her kitchen window!" Mad yelled.

"You _do_ realize that happens on a daily basis, right? Do I have to remind you all those times Papyrus came over back underground—"

"Alright _alright ALRIGHT!_ Point taken!" The ghost sighed as he turned his head away. "I guess it's just…really hard for me to accept _kindness_ …okay?" he mumbled.

Undyne was a bit quieter after that, still not knowing as many details as Mettaton when it came to his past. "Well…" She shook her head, changing the subject, "Just try to get some more rest, punk. I mean, at least now I know you feel well enough to freakin' _bolt_ into a closet." She snickered a bit as she walked back into the kitchen.

Alphys rocked back and forth a bit, then suddenly remember what she originally came in for. "O-Oh, right!" She faced Mad. "I came in m-mostly because I had something to t-tell you…not necessarily b-because Toriel and Frisk were here. Not that I didn't c-care that they were h-here! I w-was going to s-say hi, b-but I just—" After seeing Mad's eager look, she cut right to the chase. "S-Sorry. I…um…got done fixing up your body—"

Mad opened his mouth to speak, but she interrupted.

"B-But! S-Sorry, I'm really sorry, but it—it's best if you w-wait until you're better before you g-go back inside it, okay? Otherwise y-you'd probably have the same…um…issues as before…" Alphys shrank back a bit, embarrassed.

Mad shut his eyes tightly, holding back from screaming. His throat already hurt enough, and he knew it wasn't her fault. "It's fine," he spoke with forced calmness. "I can wait, I guess. Thank you, Alphys…"

"You're w-welcome." Alphys looked rather surprised, but didn't question anything. "I-In case you want to know, I left y-your body by the door to the lab, o-okay?" He nodded, and she turned to walk into the hall.

Mettaton had kept silent the whole time. He slowly looked over at his cousin, whose eyes were still shut. "I'm…quite impressed with you, Maddy."

"Don't be," Mad grumbled. "Only reason I didn't scream is because my throat is killing me. Not to mention Undyne would probably think I was yelling at Alphys, and she'd kill me, too."

Mettaton chuckled. "Don't worry, Mad. You'll get better soon; I know it."

Mad slowly looked over at the picture of him and Frisk. "Y'know…to be honest, I expected you to call more people than just Frisk and Toriel."

"Oh, I did. Some weren't able to come, but…oh well..." Mettaton winked. "I made sure to save the best for last, anyway."

Mad didn't catch on to his wink. "So, someone else is coming?" He blinked, then frowned. "Wait…you know Napstablook can't come, right? He'd catch my fever."

"Who said I called Blooky?" Mettaton was starting to grin again.

"Well, then who are you talking about?"

Mettaton snickered at his ignorance as he turned to walk away. "You'll know when you see her, darling."

Mad rolled his eyes and lay his head back for a moment. He heard Mettaton's footsteps leave the room, and that was when it hit him.

"Wait— ** _HER!?"_**

* * *

 **Well gee...I wonder who Mettaton saved for last? Hehe XP**

 **Also, the flashback with Toriel was actually based off a comic I drew months ago...lol: fav . me / db00k2d (without spaces)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's a longer chapter to make up for my laziness! ^u^ Next chapter will probably be the last, but I won't make assumptions quite yet.**

* * *

Once Madstablook figured out exactly who was going to show up in the next few minutes, he prepared an ear-piercing screech, only for nothing to come out.

Stunned, the ghost shut his mouth. His body fluctuated between a deathly dark red to a sickening pale, also clueless as to how to react to this dilemma. Luckily, Mettaton was nowhere to be seen at this point, but Mad decided that absolutely nothing would stop him from giving the empty room a piece of his mind.

 _"WHY IS MUFFET COMING WHAT DID YOU TELL HER WHY CAN'T SHE WAIT OH MY GOD I NEED MY BODY RIGHT NOW METTATON I'M GOING TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW WHERE ARE YOU!?"_

Hearing nothing but a bunch of babbling whispers, Undyne poked her head into the living room and gave him an odd look. "Mad, you _do_ realize no one can hear a word you're saying?"

Needless to say, one murderous glare was enough for her to back off. Mad's head hurt far too much to think of a logical plan on how to handle the situation, but he knew he had to act fast since Muffet would be here any second now, according to what his cousin hinted to him.

 _(Wait…)_

Then the ghost happened to remember what a certain scientist had told him just before Mettaton gave him that hint.

 _(ALPHYS FREAKIN' TOLD ME WHERE MY BODY IS!)_

Mad would've screamed with joy if he could. He dashed out of the living room and down a few hallways before he found the entrance to the lab.

…Nothing was there.

Mad twitched. Taped to the wall was a piece of paper, which he snatched with a crazed, whispery growl.

 ** _Dear Maddy—_**

"METTATON." His raspy voice squeaked.

 ** _Since I figured you'd try to steal your body back before you were better, I figured I'd take the liberty of hiding that, too. Don't bother asking Undyne and Alphys where it is—they're just as clueless._**

Mad wished he could bang his head against the wall.

 ** _Please try to understand why I'm doing this, Maddy. You always assume EVERYONE will be so quick to judge you, but that's not true. Whether you believe it or not, there are people who care about you, no matter what you may think. And I know Muffet of all people will be the one to get it through that thick head of yours._**

 ** _I'm with Blooky at the moment, but I'll be back later with a couple more things to help your fever._**

 ** _Feel better, Maddy._**

 ** _— MTT_**

Mad hurled the paper aside with a scowl, and his head only began to ache even more. He groaned as he slid down the wall and sat on the floor, eyes growing heavy. He would've passed out on the spot if it weren't for the door beside him opening very abruptly.

Assuming it was Muffet, the half-awake ghost let loose the most womanly of shrieks as he shot up like a rocket.

Alphys jumped back in utter terror. "O-Oh my gosh—I'm SO s-sorry! I d-didn't know you were r-right there!" she panicked.

Luckily, Mad didn't seem to notice her once he dropped to the floor on his face. Alphys cautiously leaned forward to see if he was alright, but he actually appeared to be unconscious.

"Oh…w-wow, I didn't m-mean to—oh gosh…" She quickly shook her head and attempted to awkwardly push him back into the living room.

Unsurprisingly, not even halfway through the journey, her hands phased through the ghost, and he began to sink into the floor.

"Ah—no no no!" Alphys tried to grab him, obviously not succeeding, and he disappeared from her sight. "Shoot…"

"ALPHYS!?" Undyne charged into the hall. "Are you okay!?" She stopped once she found Alphys on her knees, staring at the ground in shock. "I heard you scream—did you break something?"

"What?" Alphys looked confused, but then she remembered. "O-oh, that—" She tried not to giggle, but she couldn't help it. "Th-that scream wasn't…me."

Undyne blinked. "Wait, you mean—" She paused, taking a few steps back to glance into the living room. Upon seeing the empty couch, she pieced everything together. "Oh my god—that was MAD!?" She doubled over in hysterics as her laughter echoed throughout the house. "I've never heard THAT come out of him before!"

Alphys chuckled a bit, but was a still a bit worried as she looked back at the floor.

Once Undyne finally calmed down, she looked down as well. "What, so did he fall through the floor or something?"

Alphys nodded. "We should p-probably see if he's okay before Muffet c-comes…"

 _*Ding-dong!*_

"…Or we can just direct her to the basement," Undyne suggested with a snort. "I'll get the door. You can go back to the lab."

"What about Mad?"

Undyne shrugged. "Eh, I'm sure he'll be fine. If he's lucky, he probably fell into a laundry basket or something." Alphys reluctantly returned to her lab as the fish lady headed over to the front door and opened it.

Muffet immediately hobbled in, arms carrying all sorts of medicine, blankets, and other items. She dumped all the stuff onto the couch, then expectantly faced Undyne. "Where is he?"

"In the basement." Undyne pointed down, and the spider gave her a weird look. "He fell through the floor."

"Wait, you mean he's not in his body?" Muffet looked surprised.

"Nope. He got real clumsy—it was pretty funny, actually." Undyne gestured to the basement doorway. "He's somewhere down there, but let me know if you can't find him. I wouldn't be surprised if he tried to hide from you, anyway." She chuckled as she went back into the kitchen, no doubt to keep her sack of flour nearby.

Muffet raised a brow at first, but knowing she didn't have any other choice, she made her way down the stairs. Once she reached the bottom, she glanced around in interest, surprised by how clean it actually was. There were quite a bit of boxes that looked untouched, but other than that, the place seemed relatively empty except for the washing machine, dryer, and laundry baskets.

Muffet smiled. Perhaps finding Mad wouldn't be an issue after all. Her first instinct was to look through all the boxes, but a sudden _sniff_ broke her train of thought. She turned her head.

"…What."

There was her boyfriend, fast asleep inside the dryer, snuggling some random sweater.

It took everything in Muffet's power not to laugh. Instead, she dove into her pocket for her phone, grinning with pride as she snapped a picture.

Hey, moments like these are extremely rare. Better enjoy it while ya can, right?

Muffet tried to suppress a fit of giggles as she gently rapped on the glass with one hand. "Mad?"

Mad flinched awake, eyes wide. He turned his head this way and that, trying to figure out where the heck he was. "What the…?" He let go of the sweater he was clutching, and it wasn't until Muffet tapped the glass again that he recognized his surroundings. "Oh gosh…it's the Hapstablook incident all over again…" he groaned, shutting his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Muffet asked him, her voice sounding a bit muffled.

Mad opened his eyes and faced her. He stared at her for a few seconds, blinking as if trying to recognize her.

"…Mad?"

Now fully awake, Mad gasped, which turned into choking, which then turned into another coughing fit. Before Muffet could say anything else, the feverish ghost propelled himself out of the dryer. **_"DON'T LOOK AT ME!"_**

"Mad, calm down!" Muffet slowly approached him.

Mad desperately tried to shift invisible, but without any luck. "Come on—COME ON! I DON'T CARE IF I'M SICK! CAN'T YOU BE ON MY SIDE JUST THIS _ONCE!?"_

"Mad!" Muffet tried again, but when Mad saw she was close, he flew even higher.

"Who's Mad? I'm not Mad. Mad's a dummy, remember?" The ghost spoke in a gravelly voice as he hid behind a tall lamp.

"You're a _dummy_ , all right." Muffet rolled her eyes. "Get down from there."

"Not until you stop looking at me."

"Mad—" Muffet placed all her hands onto the wall. "I will literally climb this wall if you don't come down."

Mad poked his head out and gaped at her. "You can actually do that?"

"I'm a _spider_ , Mad."

Of course, Mad didn't argue with that logic, even if he _did_ think watching his girlfriend climb a wall would be quite entertaining. He finally hovered down to her, pouting like a child.

"Well," Muffet crossed her arms as she eyed him, "I'm looking at you. And I don't see what the deal is."

"The deal is that I look _stupid."_ Mad hissed, shrinking back.

"Mad, does Napstablook look stupid?"

Mad snapped his head towards her, surprised she would even ask such a thing. "No! Why bring _him_ into this!?"

"Because you look just _like_ him, besides the stitches and all!" Muffet told him obviously. "So what makes _you_ look so stupid?"

Mad turned red and looked at the floor. "Just _say_ it already. I know you're thinking it," he grumbled.

"Say what?" She frowned.

"The word that _everyone_ says whenever they see me like this!" Mad gritted his teeth. He may have been lucky with Frisk, but his luck was starting to go dry at this point.

Muffet's expression softened. "Well..." She slowly walked in a circle around him. "If you ask _me_ , I say you look pretty tough."

"…What?" Mad looked completely unconvinced. "No—I don't!" He shook his head when she nodded. "No, you're just saying that since…" he paused, lowering his voice, "…you already know everything I went through before."

Muffet glared at him. "Do you really think I would lie to you?"

Mad pouted again. "Well…I mean, you _did_ call me adorable one time," he mumbled.

"I called your _temper_ adorable," Muffet corrected him with a smirk. "But while we're on that subject, isn't it my job, as your girlfriend, to tell you how adorable you are?"

Mad cringed. "Just…please stop saying that word."

" _Adorable?_ Why? Because it sounds weak?"

"Well, 99% of the time when people use it to describe ME, that's usually what they're implying!" Mad shouted. "Nobody ever takes me seriously like this! They all assume that just because I look _cute_ , that I can't fight back…that I-I can't defend myself…that I'm **_weak_** _..._ " His anger grew with each passing second just thinking about it.

"Mad," Muffet started, but the ghost seemed to forget she was standing right next to him.

"…They _all_ think I'm weak, and I'm **_not_** _,"_ he spat, eyes glaring ferociously at the wall beside him. "I'm **NOT** weak," he repeated louder, and he continued to repeat it to the point where he literally spun around to face the wall and screech in its nonexistent face: "I'M **NOT** WEAK! **I'M _NOT!"_**

Muffet jumped as smoke furiously began to rise from Mad, and she knew she had to calm him down. "MAD!" She stepped forward and forced him to look at her. "You need to STOP freaking out, okay? It only makes things worse!"

Mad shut his eyes in pain, feeling as if a dozen hammers were trying to split his head open at once.

It was a bit difficult at first, but Muffet managed to embrace him. She gently patted his back as he took deep breaths.

"I'm…sorry," he finally mumbled. "I just…really didn't want you to see me like this."

"Mad," Muffet sighed, "if you really trust me so much, then you _know_ I was going to see your ghost form sooner or later."

Mad didn't want to admit it, but she was right. It may have been extremely difficult for him to open up to people, but things were always different when it came to her.

"How about we just go back upstairs, okay?" Muffet carefully led him to the stairs. "I brought some medicine, some blankets…does that sound good?"

Mad nodded, deciding to conserve his voice. He quietly followed her up the stairs and back into the living room, where he immediately took a blanket to wrap around himself. This time, it was more because he was actually cold rather than wanting to hide himself. He bundled up at the end of the couch, and Muffet sat on the other end.

"Did you already take some medicine before I came?" she asked him, picking up a bottle of painkillers.

"Mettaton gave me some soup about 2 hours ago…he told me it would kick in eventually, but I'm still not feelin' it yet…" he spoke lowly.

"Here, then take some of these with your water." Muffet handed him his glass of water along with 2 pills.

Once Mad had finished taking them, he leaned back on the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Muffet watched his movements carefully. There wasn't as much steam rising from him, but he did look a lot paler. "When was the last time your temperature was checked?"

"Back when we first found out I had a fever. 4 hours ago, maybe? 5? I dunno…" His words slurred a bit due to his exhaustion.

"I think we should probably check it again, just to be on the safe side," Muffet suggested, looking concerned. The fact that Mad almost looked as white as Napstablook definitely wasn't normal. "You… _really_ don't look well." She stood up and walked over to the kitchen.

Undyne had nearly fallen asleep at the table until Muffet wiggled her shoulder. "Wha?"

"Do you know where the thermometer is?"

"Oh—yeah. Just a sec." Undyne leaned back in her chair and reached into a drawer, pulling one out. "You're gonna need Alphys's book on ghosts if you wanna figure out what any of those numbers mean, though." She pointed to the large book across the table.

Muffet nodded. "You can go take a break if you really want to. I won't be going anywhere for a while, trust me."

Undyne blinked, then she slowly began to grin. "Of course. Heh, I'll leave you two alone." She got up from table and stretched her back. "I don't know when Mettaton will be back, but in the meantime, just holler if you need help."

"I'm sure we'll be fine, but thanks." Muffet picked up the large book, almost dropping it when underestimating its weight. "Holy cow…" She struggled a bit, but was able to make it back to the living room without any problem once she used more hands to carry it.

For once, Mad was actually quite calm. He continued staring at the ceiling, although every time he blinked, his eyes were shut for a bit longer than normal. He didn't seem to be shaking, at least, but he wasn't moving at all.

"You okay?" Muffet heaved the book onto the coffee table, letting out a small sigh of relief.

"Well, I didn't know it was possible for a ghost to feel queasy…" he moaned, finally turning onto his side. The second he did, he cringed.

"It's probably because you haven't eaten anything in a while." Muffet handed him the thermometer. "Here."

Mad stared at it. "You want me to eat the thermometer?"

Muffet almost busted up laughing. "No! Just take your temperature, silly."

"…Right." Feeling like an idiot, Mad took the thermometer as Muffet began opening the book on ghosts.

"Huh…reminds me of the book on spiders my aunt used to have," she chuckled quietly to herself, flipping a few pages. She began to get distracted by all the pictures, especially when turning the page to a section on baby ghosts. "Ahuhuhu~ Look at all the baby ghosties! So cute!~"

She felt a soft poke on her back, and she turned around to see Mad holding out the thermometer, obviously not amused.

"Oh! Sorry." Muffet took it back and looked at the number. She blinked in confusion, then she hastily flipped through more pages in the book until she managed to reach the appropriate section. "Here we are…" She looked through a list of fever-related temperatures, and her eyes began to widen. "Um…Mad?"

"Hm?" His face was buried in the arm of the couch.

"What exactly was the number last time you took your temperature?"

"Lemme see." Mad blindly reached his arm out, and she gave the thermometer to him. He turned his head and took a peek. "Heh heh…" He started laughing as he buried his face again.

Muffet raised a brow. "Well?"

"It got worse."

"And that's a funny thing?" She frowned.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised. I definitely FEEL worse."

"Mad, I think you should take this a bit more seriously," Muffet crossed her arms. "I don't know anything about ghost fevers, but I can assume that just any other sickness, it can get serious if not treated properly." She looked back at the book to find treatments. "Have you even slept at all?"

"I _tried_ going to sleep, but that didn't help much," Mad complained, remembering how his sneezing kept him from properly doing so.

"Well, you already had that soup…and you already took some pain meds…" she mumbled, skipping the first few parts. Then she read the last few lines:

 ** _* Sleep is the most encouraged way for monsters to get rid on an illness. However, since ghosts naturally don't require as much energy, it's especially important for them to maintain complete composure and reside in a quiet, non-vexing environment when ill._**

Oh, the irony.

"Well…now we know why your fever got worse." Muffet closed the book. "You're supposed to _relax."_

Mad seethed as he raised his head. "What do you think I've been TRYING to do!?" he yelled, but when Muffet gave him an obvious look, he groaned and flopped back down.

"That's not what it looked like when you kept trying to hide from me." She rolled her eyes.

"…And that's not what it looked like when you dropped your spoon earlier," Undyne added, standing at the edge of the hall. "Or when you locked yourself in the closet—"

"Well EX- _CUUUSE_ ME! NOBODY ASKED YOU!" Mad bared his teeth at the fish monster, who innocently retreated back to her room.

Muffet pushed his head back down. "This is exactly what that book is talking about, Mad. You need to calm down."

" _That's_ the problem! That's _all_ everyone's been telling me ever since I got this fever: _Just relax! Calm down! Stop getting all riled up!_ It's NOT as easy as everyone thinks! I don't have anything to be calm about when I'm like THIS!" He gestured to himself. "Because of everything that's happened to me before, I've just been so paranoid that someone was gonna come in and see me, a-and—"

"What? Make fun of you?" Muffet scooted closer to him. "No one's making fun of you, Mad. Do you really think there was any reason for you to freak out at _all_ today?"

Knowing there honestly wasn't, Mad turned his head away, sulking to himself.

"Exactly. You always get so worked up over nothing, don't you?" Muffet patted his back again.

"I wouldn't be called _Mad_ stablook if I didn't," he grumbled.

"I realize that. But times have changed, Mad. People change, and people mature. _You've_ certainly matured." She snickered. "I mean, remember when we first met?

"How could I forget?" Mad snorted. "But in my defense, throwing a sign at my head wasn't so mature of _you_ , either…don't ya think?"

Muffet laughed. "I suppose so. But do you see my point? There's no need to get so worked up over the past. Being on the surface is a good enough chance to start over as any, don't you think?"

Mad huddled the blanket closer around himself. "I guess," he mumbled.

"Of course it is." Muffet leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Her face ended up phasing right through his, and she pulled back in surprise. "Ahuhuhu~ Sorry!"

Mad's face became bright red as he shrank back. "I-It's okay…"

Muffet smiled and stood up. "I think it'd be best if you tried eating something else, so how about I see if there's any fruit in the kitchen? And then would you like me to make you some tea?"

Still flustered from earlier, Mad stiffly nodded. "I would like that," he answered quietly. "Thank you, Muffet."

"You're welcome dearie~" She left the room.

Mad watched her, and a soft smile began to form. He could already feel his headache beginning to drift away.


	5. Chapter 5

**GASP! I'm back! I would've uploaded this about a week sooner, but ironically enough, I'm just getting over a fever myself.** **XD**

 **Anyway, for sure, this is the last chapter.**

* * *

Madstablook was never much of a tea person, but he had to admit, the tea Muffet had given him wasn't too bad.

"I like it…but I think it could do without so much sweetness," he admitted, taking another sip.

"Well, I didn't know if you were fan of tea, so I just wanted to make sure it wasn't too bland for you, dearie." Muffet placed the different tea boxes back into her bag. "I didn't put _that_ much sugar in it, did I?"

"Not really…I guess I'm just really sensitive to sweets or something. I've never been a fan of anything sugary, even when I was a kid," Mad mumbled. Once he thought about it, he couldn't help but laugh. "It's actually pretty funny, though. The one guy who doesn't like sweets has a girlfriend who sells pastries…"

"Well, that explains why you rarely want anything besides croissants from my bakery," Muffet chuckled as she looked in her bag. "I suppose these chocolate-covered strawberries I brought are out of the question, then."

Mad found himself beginning to feel nauseous, not only at the thought of more sugar, but also when they had brought up her bakery. It didn't quite occur to him until now just how long she had been here with him, and it still looked as though she wasn't leaving anytime soon. Not that he _wanted_ her to.

Muffet sat by his side on the couch, taking out some of the strawberries to eat.

Mad was awfully quiet for a while, but knew that he had to say what was on his mind or else he'd _really_ start to feel sick again. "Muffet?" he mumbled.

She looked up and offered him a strawberry. "Did you change your mind about the strawberries?"

Mad shook his head. "…You know you didn't have to quit working because of me…right?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you didn't have to ditch your bakery just to see if I was okay." Mad stared at the ceiling.

Muffet sighed. "Mad, don't you think you're exaggerating just a bit?"

"I'm just sort of confused, that's all," he mumbled. "It's just, you're always…" He paused. "I mean, you just…seem like the type of person who…well—y'know, just—" He fumbled with his words, trying his hardest not to sound like a complete jerk. "What I mean to say is—"

Muffet was starting to experience déjà vu with the way he was stammering. However, her suspicion outgrew her amusement. "Spit it out, dearie."

"Just—forget it." Mad decided to dismiss the idea altogether.

"Mad, I'm the type of person who _what?"_ She narrowed her eyes.

"I said forget it, okay? I'm still exhausted, and I'm obviously not thinking clearly." Mad shut his eyes, hoping she would drop it.

Muffet was definitely annoyed now. "Mad, just tell me. I promise I won't be upset with you."

Mad knew she probably wouldn't, but that didn't stop him from still feeling like a jerk. Finally, he sighed. "Okay, fine. Back then, y'know…somewhat before our first date and all, you told me about how determined you were to make money and help all the spiders, and how you'd never let anyone get in the way of that."

Muffet raised a brow at him, but gestured for him to continue.

So…" His voice grew softer, "Seeing you put all that on hold just to check up on someone like _me_ is just…well, I don't want to say it's _completely_ contradicting, but it's just not something anyone would expect from someone like you. You get it—?" Mad stopped talking once he noticed she was glaring at him.

 _(Didn't she just say she wouldn't get upset with me—?)_

"Mad," Muffet began sternly, and he shrunk back, "while I appreciate that you remember my personal goals, there's also one thing you completely forgot: I'm not alone in that bakery. I have more than enough help as it is, and the other spiders completely understand whenever I need a break. Just because I own the place, that doesn't mean I have to work every single hour it's open."

Mad squirmed. "I know, but I don't think—"

"No buts. I _chose_ to be here for you, okay? It wasn't your decision to make." Muffet's frown turned into a smirk. "I'm not poor, dearie.~ And if there's anything you've taught me after I threw that sign at your head, it's that money isn't everything." She almost laughed out loud at his bizarre look. "… _Yes_ , I know that's a concept I'm still getting the hang of, but you and I both should know that me skipping work for a couple hours isn't going to hurt anything."

Mad's face turned completely red. "R-Right. You're right. I'm sorry—I'm an idiot, I know. It's just—I've been…hearing things…" He forced himself not to look at her, feeling ashamed. It was only until recently that he discovered he wasn't the _only_ one with a shady reputation among monsters.

Muffet rolled her eyes. "Dearie, you remember what I told you earlier, right? People change, and people mature. I know perfectly well that I wasn't the… _friendliest_ monster back underground, but I'm doing my best to compensate for it. Just like I know you're doing your best to compensate for leaving your cousins." She smiled, and he blushed in embarrassment.

"I know. I'm sorry for assuming things." Mad slouched further down into the couch, wishing he had just kept his mouth shut.

"I don't blame you for overthinking, Mad. And I appreciate your concern for my own desires. But I want you to remember that those desires don't clash with your wellbeing," she told him seriously.

"I know…" Mad repeated quieter.

"Good." She gave him a kiss on the cheek, luckily not phasing through him. "And besides, from Mettaton's tone, you were in pretty bad shape, so of _course_ I wanted to come and check on you." She glanced around to make sure no one was around before she added, "And it's a good thing I did, too, because it doesn't necessarily look like anyone _else_ around here could've calmed you down as much as I have."

Mad knew that was definitely true. As far as he knew, the only other person who would've been able to calm him down was probably Napstablook, but Mad knew he couldn't come for obvious reasons.

Muffet put away her strawberries and lay next to him on the couch. Noticing how close she was to him, Mad stared at her for a moment, but managed to snap out of it.

"I think your exhaustion is starting to rub off, dearie. I could go for a nap right now." She shut her eyes.

Mad couldn't help but turn red. "O-Okay," he said softly. Once he situated himself more comfortably, he shut his eyes as well, hoping with all his might that he wouldn't phase through the couch.

* * *

Nearly 2 hours later, Mad heard the front door open. Not expecting any other company, part of him wanted to jump up and hide, but he remained frozen in place when he remembered Muffet was still asleep by his side.

Luckily, once the visitor stepped inside, Mad let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you okay?" Mettaton raised a brow as he shut the door behind himself.

Mad blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Something's not right. The corners of your mouth were pointing up. Maybe your fever's getting worse."

The ghost let out a dry laugh. "Very funny."

Mettaton leaned against the wall nearby. "…So? How are you feeling?"

Mad took a moment to think about that. "Much better, actually. I can actually _talk_ properly, I haven't coughed in at least an hour, and I no longer have to worry about phasing through everything. Guess all I had to do was calm down. Go figure…" He looked around Mettaton. "I was starting to think you ditched me. So, what did you bring?"

"Hm? Me?" Mettaton shrugged. "I didn't bring anything."

Mad frowned. "…But your note said—"

"I know, I know. I lied." Mettaton smirked. "I knew Muffet would bring you more than you needed, and, well…" He winked. "I figured I would leave you two alone for a good while."

Mad looked down at Muffet and blushed. "Thanks…" he mumbled.

Mettaton pointed to the thermometer on the table. "Have you taken your temperature recently?"

"No, but I probably should." Mad cautiously leaned forward to take it off the table. After leaving it in his mouth for a minute or two, Mettaton took it out and checked it.

"Huh." Mettaton set it back down with a smile. "Much better, Maddy. It's still just a little high, but it's definitely an improvement from before. You'll be fully better in no time."

"That's good…" Mad leaned his head back and sighed. He was beyond glad, but he still felt pretty tired from all the time he had spent freaking out before.

Mettaton stared, expecting his cousin to say more, but only silence followed. "So…?" he began.

"What?" Mad looked at him.

"…You're not gonna ask for your body back? You _are_ feeling better, after all."

Much to Mettaton's surprise, Mad didn't immediately jump up. In fact, the ghost remained perfectly still, eyes trailing to the floor in thought. "Oh. I guess you could grab it, then. Besides," he glanced back at Muffet, face turning red again as he lowered his voice, "I…kinda don't want to move at the moment…"

Mettaton chuckled. "Of course not. I'll get it for you." He turned around.

"Where did you even hide it, anyway?" Mad asked him.

"Oh, I just put it behind your bush outside." Mettaton dismissively waved his hand. "I figured you wouldn't bother looking there since going outside is the _last_ thing you'd want to do in this condition."

Slightly impressed, but still annoyed, Mad rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Just please bring it to me before I change my mind about moving."

"Sure thing, Maddy." Mettaton turned and left through the front door.

Once he did, Muffet started to shuffle a bit on the couch. Her eyes groggily opened, and she looked up at Mad.

Mad reluctantly looked back down at her, not quite sure what to say. "…Hi."

She giggled.

He raised a brow. "What?"

"You're so awkward, you know that?"

"Give me a break, will ya?" Mad grouched, trying to hide his blush. "I've never…done anything like this before."

"What, snuggling?" Muffet huddled closer, and Mad's body stiffened. She turned to give him a look. "Hey. I don't bite, dearie~"

Mad wished he could hide his face. "I'm just not used to it," he muttered.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with a little snuggle. In fact, did you know that hugs can reduce stress?" Muffet gently wrapped her arms around him. "If you're not used to such a thing, then that certainly explains a _lot_ ," she snickered.

"In my defense, I'm a punching bag, not a _hugging_ bag." Mad rolled his eyes.

"Speaking of punching bag…" Mettaton returned, and Mad flinched. "Here you are, Maddy." The robot set the dummy body down in front of the couch. "Try not to hurt yourself too much this time, okay?" he teased.

Mad eyed at him warily, but Mettaton didn't seem to be giving any stupid-looking grin over Muffet snuggling close to him. "Thanks," Mad mumbled, and Mettaton simply nodded.

"I'm going back to Blooky for the night, but I'll come back sometime in the morning to see how you're holding up. I assume you'll be fine by then." As he started towards the front door and opened it, he winked at Mad, who was still glaring. "Goodnight, Maddy. And goodnight Muffet!" He shut the door.

"…And here I thought he was gonna swoon or something," Mad snorted once he was gone. "I'm impressed he managed to keep it together."

"I'm sure he knows you've already gone through enough today," Muffet told him. She looked over at Mad's body, then noticed how he seemed to fidget a bit. "Well? What're you waiting for?"

Mad didn't need to be told twice. He phased out of Muffet's arms and dove back into his body. Once he managed to put himself back together without any problem, he darted over to the nearest mirror he could find. He slowly spun around, examining himself from each possible angle.

"You're related to Mettaton, all right," Muffet joked, and he gave her a look.

"I just wanted to make sure he didn't _do_ anything to it," he grumbled. After looking around himself one last time, he sighed with relief, feeling as though he had been reunited with a lifelong friend. "You have no idea how happy I am right now…"

"Why, it looks almost brand-new!" Muffet smiled.

"I'll have to thank Alphys later for giving this a good patch-up." Mad Dummy sighed, then flopped back onto the couch next to Muffet. "But for now…I'm still pooped."

"How? You were asleep for almost two hours!" Muffet giggled.

"Ghost fevers _really_ hit you hard, okay?" Mad defended himself. "Besides, it's been a while since I've moved around so quickly." He adjusted himself, still getting used to his tangibility.

"Well, I suppose it's getting late, anyway." Muffet situated herself as well, leaning her head against his torso. "You make a _much_ better pillow, now, by the way.~"

Mad rolled his eyes at first, but then her earlier comment sank in. "Wait—you're staying the night?"

"Well, why not? It's late, and I'm already here, aren't I?" She blinked.

Mad's eyes wandered, and they landed on the window nearby. The sky was darker shade of orange, and he could barely see the sun setting in the distance.

 _(Have I really been sick for that long?)_

His face became terribly red. "I—well, I m-mean—I'm just not sure what Undyne would think," he muttered, but really, he just didn't want the fish lady to walk in on them and start teasing him.

"Relax, Mad. I already told her ahead of time, and she didn't seem to care either way." Noticing that Mad was still anxious, she patted him gently. "Hey. _Someone_ has to keep you calm all night if you're going to feel better in the morning, right?"

"But what about Cupcake?" he mumbled.

Muffet was surprised Mad even brought him up, seeing how he was still a bit antsy around her pet. "Cupcake knows how to take care of himself. And the other spiders are around to keep him company, too. Why? Do you want him to come stay with you, too?" She teased.

Mad vigorously shook his head. "No! I was just curious. I don't think having him here would bring my stress down in the slightest…" He tried to hide his shudder, and she giggled.

"I was kidding, dearie. Besides, Undyne would _really_ get after me if I tried to bring him here."

Mad snorted. "True…" He turned his head to look at the hallway as best he could, but no one seemed to be around. Finally, he gave up and relaxed his body. "Well…I guess staying like this seems like the best idea."

Muffet wrapped her arms around him once more. "See? Now you're getting the hang of things. I have no doubt you'll feel great in the morning." She smiled and shut her eyes. "Goodnight, dearie."

It was strange to feel as warm as he did, especially after being so cold during his fever. Nonetheless, he wore a goofy grin as his eyes slowly started to droop. He was fast asleep within minutes.

One yellow eye peered at the sleeping couple from the kitchen doorway. A quiet giggle was heard as Undyne poked her head in, soon followed by Alphys's.

"Th-they are really cute together…" Alphys whispered, trying to contain herself. "I was starting to get really worried with how high his fever was…I'm really glad he's okay now."

"I honestly thought he'd _never_ calm down," Undyne muttered, but then she smirked. "Guess I was wrong." She looked at Mad's now smiling face. "I swear, sometimes I can't even recognize that dummy whenever he's around her."

"I know," Alphys almost squealed, and she even took out her phone to take a picture.

Undyne chuckled softly. "He's definitely lucky he found someone who can put up with a temper like his."

"Yeah…"

They both continued to watch the happy couple sleep for quite some time before they slowly began to realize just how awkward it was starting to become.

"…Undyne?"

"Hm?"

"We should…uh…p-probably go to bed ourselves."

"Huh? Oh—yeah, good idea." Undyne nodded, and they hurriedly sneaked out of the room before anyone could catch them.

* * *

 **I believe this is a good ending point (it took me forever to figure one out...), so I hope you enjoyed this story! I apologize for taking a while between chapters, but I do plan on writing more Mad Dummy (or ghost cousin) fanfics sometime in the future. Thanks for sticking with me! :D**


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